1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to container dispenser devices, and more particularly to such devices that will prevent separated flowable content dispensing. For example, the watery top liquid that accumulates over ketchup or mustard has separated from its original composition and is undesirable when it flows out ahead of the ketchup or mustard. The present invention prevents this from occurring by causing the top material (usually less viscous or dense) to initially bypass the exit orifice of the container cap, and aid in remixing it into the original major contents. This is achieved with the present invention device that includes a dispensing orifice, an isolation column and at least one mixing blade. The present invention device may be a cap or an insert that fits under a cap.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following patents represent the state of the art relating to modified container dispensing caps:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,109 B2 describes a cap for a water bottle or other liquid container. The cap has a liquid-dissolvable disk in it that dissolves in the water when the bottle is shaken. The preferred cap also has an annular cavity between inner and outer walls in the sidewall of the cap into which the liquid can flow through fluid passageways once the disk is at least partially dissolved.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,664 B1 describes a cap for use in dispensing viscous liquids from containers without the accompaniment of lower viscosity liquid present in the container. The cap has a top portion with an outside surface and an inside surface and an elongated conduit formed at a pre-determined angle. The elongated conduit has an outlet and an inlet. The outlet is situated either eccentrically or concentrically on the outside surface of the top portion such that at least one point on the circumference of the top portion is greater than 10 milliliters from the edge of the inlet.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,140 B1 describes a bottle/cap assembly with sweep-and-drain action including a bottle, a cap and a sweep-and-drain mechanism. The bottle has in series, from the bottom to the top, a closed bottom, a body sidewall, a cylindrical neck sidewall, and an open top. The cap is configured and dimensioned to be rotatably received about the neck sidewall and includes a closed cap top to close the open top and prevent egress of liquid from within the bottle. The sweep-and-drain mechanism includes (i) a circumferentially spaced plurality of vertically extending grooves or slots in the bottle extending downwardly from the open top through said neck sidewall, and (ii) a circumferentially spaced plurality of radially extending vanes or wipers proximate to the open top, rotation of the cap relative to the bottle causes the vanes or wipers to circumferentially sweep and push any liquid accumulated on the open top into a position vertically aligned with the grooves or slots so that such accumulated liquid can drain downwardly through the grooves or slots towards the closed bottom under the influence of gravity.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,441 describes a two-piece dispensing closure, which includes a plastic fitment that fits in the mouth of a bottle, a twist type over cap having a central aperture in its top wall for engagement with a post on the top of the fitment and having a sealing wall and lip for sealing over holes through a bottom wall of the fitment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,254 describes a cosmetics container that includes a bottle defining a chamber for containing cosmetics, the bottle including a threaded neck, and a cap removably secured to the neck. The cap has an applicator rod for extending through the neck into the cosmetics chamber and applicator at the distal end of the rod for carrying cosmetics. A wiper has i) a sleeve mounted in the bottle neck, the sleeve defining an outlet through the neck from the cosmetics chamber and, ii) a conical wiper diaphragm extending from the sleeve across the outlet and descending into the cosmetics chamber below the neck. The conical wiper diaphragm defines a central wiper orifice for accommodating passage of the applicator rod and applicator and for wiping excess cosmetics therefrom as the applicator rod and the applicator are withdrawn from the cosmetics chamber. A plurality of substantially evenly spaced-apart vanes extend downwardly from the lower surface of the wiper diaphragm to below the wiper orifice, and each van extending angularly outwardly from the wiper orifice to its trailing edge. Adjacent vanes define a flow channel therebetween for conveying wiped excess cosmetics outwardly from the wiper orifice and for mixing cosmetics, the plurality of vanes defining a plurality of such flow channels. A second, more flexible finishing wiper is provided within the first wiper.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,830 describes an apparatus for controlling the dispensing of a concentrate from a container at a predetermined flow rate that includes a first container part a first valve part in communication with a volume of concentrate; a second part having a second mating valve part and an outlet opening therein, the second part movable with respect to the first part to selectively move the first and second valve parts with respect to each other with a preselected amount to permit flow of the concentrate from the first part, through the valve parts and out the outlet opening; cams for effecting movement of the first and second parts, the preselected amount with respect to each other; a tube to introduce air at atmospheric pressure into the container when the first and second valve parts are moved apart having a cooperating valve to prevent back flow through the tube when the first and second valve parts are in sealing relationship; and a chamber interposed between the volume of concentrate and the tube having an outlet fixed near the outlet opening, the chamber outlet being of a size which will permit a free flow of air whereby air will escape from the chamber, despite any surface tension existing in the concentrate, to replace concentrate which is dispensed through the outlet opening in such a manner so as to maintain a constant head pressure in the interior of the container.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.